Nokia chief executive says Google is making Android more closed

Nokia’s chief executive Stephen Elop, an ex Microsoft employee, tied Nokia exclusively with Windows Phone and while the Finns have finally gotten out of the red for the first time this Holiday quarter, it’s hard to say that Lumia Windows Phone sales have gotten traction. Actually, the opposite is true.

Still, Nokia’s chief executive is committed to Windows Phone and Windows Phone only, and taking the chance to sneak a remark about competing ecosystems and Android in particular. Here are Elop’s observations about Android:

"The situation that Android is facing, where the amount of fragmentation that you're seeing is increasing as people take it in different directions, is of course offset by Google's efforts to turn an open ecosystem into something that's quite a bit more closed as you've seen quite recently."

Possibly, Elop is still bitter over Google’s decision to stop supporting Exchange ActiveSync accounts, a technology Windows Phone uses for push notifications for services like Gmail.

Or he could be criticizing Google's attempts to bring unification to Android via this following rule for phone makers:

“3.4 You agree that you will not take any actions that may cause or result in the fragmentation of Android, including but not limited to distributing, participating in the creation of, or promoting in any way a software development kit derived from the SDK.”

Or he could be tacitly referring to something else altogether.

In either case, Elop is confident in Nokia without Android, and in Android getting more fragmented and closed. It’s up to you to agree or disagree with him.

Only Samsung makes a profit with Android: the rest of the OEM's lose money on their products. Look at HTC for example: what has Android done for them lately?

The reality is that WP8 is gaining traction, and so is Nokia, and I fully expect other OEMs will jump ship to Microsoft in the near future. LG and ASUS are talking about producing WP8 devices, and they would not be wasting time trying to do this is they felt the OS was not going to do well.

The writing is on the wall, but most of you are too busy posting stupid emotional comments to see what's coming down the line. ;o)

Are you ignorant? Sony, HTC and other DO TURN A PROFIT with android, if they didn't they would have cut ties already. It's funny that you bring up HTC, as they have made money the whole time, just not as much as they used to make. That's because of business decisions they have made, not because they use android. You sound like a fanboy with this kind of logic. Please read my comment to you below. HARDWARE MAKERS WANT TO SELL HARDWARE. THEREFORE THEY WILL/SHOULD SELL IT WITH WHAT EVER OS SELLS. That is an Unemotional statement. That is what business is about, making the most money with the least effort and time possible.

93.metalpoet (unregistered)

Yeah and it they would just make a cellphone that has the same title, design, and specs on all carrier then Moto, HTC, and LG would be as profitable as samsung. If Apple ever did ONE thing right, it was keep their products looking the same on at least 3 of the big four carriers in the U.S.

Also Maybe all manufacturers should have an open mind in making WP and Android phones. This whole locking yourself up to only one type of OS is retarded! If Nokia would make that same great design that they have for these failing windows phones and slap android in it. id buy it in a second!

Do you know that android is linux...and it is going to be the dominant OS after 2016...
And there is whole lot of things where linux is king such as work stations, super computers, servers, satellites so and so...windows doesn't even have 1% in those things...

Okay, you guys seem pretty confident...
You guys try stepping up to his shoes for a week...you'll know what to do since you know everything.
Agreed that he might a bit boiled up, but no one would like to see a company drop out of everything. Even if he did, there are other people that can vote him out. So, unless you know for sure...shut it.

10.XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)

i definitely agree that being in his shoes would make our views probably just as skewed as his is right now.........but, since we are NOT in his shoes but rather looking at whats going on from a pretty good perspective, we can most definitely give some suggestions as to what may be a better route......and if a big portion of people are yelling at him about what may turn around his company for good.........then maybe he ought to ..........take it in consideration? not saying he should agree with us, but definitely consider some things....

"i definitely agree that being in his shoes would make our views probably just as skewed as his is right now"
That's my point...
Look at how people are giving your so called "suggestions"...would you call that what you call it? I'm not pointing at you.

Sounds more like a man that choose to lock himself in with one platform and now is going defend it no matter what happen, just so he does not look like he made a bad call. Was it a bad call to use Windows..I don't think so, was it a bad call to only use windows...i think so. But, time will tell.

This is my thing. When you have been struggling like they have, why lock yourself to ONE, new, untested and unproven platform? That just sounds stupid to me. But, like others have said, he is a MS employee, so he will defend them to the death. But as a struggling HARDWARE maker now, you should never lock yourself into one platform......Unless you own that platform.

13.yero789 (unregistered)

I think that Nokia is great and it's unique in this market,because it's no tusing Android.I have nothing against Android,it's a very decent OS,but Nokia will loose it's individuality,if it leaves WP and goes to Android.Anyways,who knows :D

I agree. Other OEMs tried to be Nokia by joining it when they tried symbian (Samsung, and Sony Ericsson back then I think).. And Nokia joining in with them now would never happen I think. Nokia will be starting from scratch with the codes while others have years perfecting it already. Never gonna happen. Only with Windows Phone can Nokia be KING again.. With all its innovations only in a differing OS.

94.yero789 (unregistered)

Yes I agree with You.I think that Nokia can make Windows Phone far better.I like WIndows Phone very much,but it really misses some features,but I belive that Nokia will make Windows Phone one of the best OS's.No other phone manufacturer uses Windows Phone as main OS so I guess Nokia has huge plans for this OS.

"it’s hard to say that Lumia Windows Phone sales have gotten traction. Actually, the opposite is true." - Dear VIKTOR H., what kind of an ''expert'' are you, anyway?! All the data Nokia showed about Lumia sales number revealed 4-5 times increase in sales in just UNDER a year! Yes, they may not beat Apple this year, but they keep it up. Also in many markets WP gained share. And the ONLY one who claims the opposite is you. Please, defend your statement or GET fired(I'd do so, if I was your boss) Really PA, when will you start hiring EDUCATED people. By that I mean Bachelor or Master Degree? When?

I'm not saying abandon Windows which is working out for them for the time being but there's nothing wrong with expanding your portfolio. I'm sure they could build a niche market even if they were to offer it off carrier like the nexus 4. I would definitely give it a try just cause its different and has a lot of benefits other OS don't have. Why would I care about lack of games if i could dock it and have Steam games I could play or everything that is already out for Linux/Ubuntu?

Um, you've your own fragmented mess thanks to MS.
Sales, out of 80 million,... Impressive, but only 5 million were WP!
Closed Os, not throwing stones are you Elop?
Gave away maps to exchange Os patent costs from bug brother too ?
Elop, you should be run off .

Nokia can only make a difference with Windows Phone. They have the chance to win big again only with WP. They lose the advantage if they turn to Android. So easy to lose tech advantage if you're writing in the some code right? And all these lawsuits between Samsung and Apple? Nokia's not having any of that Android-iOS mess.

If, and only if, Windows phone ran ONLY on Nokia's, would you have a point. But, they have to compete with HTC, and Samsung with windows phone, a struggling platform on it's own. So, again, Nokia is now a hardware maker(since Symbian is dead), no different than Samsung(sort of), HTC, Sony, Moto, etc. They don't own a software platform any more, so it is stupid to lock yourself to one OS, especially if that OS only makes up 1-5% of the smartphone market. Unless you don't actually have a plan to turn your business around. That would be like HTC or Samsung saying at this point "all we are going to make is Windows Phone". Their stock prices would plummet, and no one could save them at that point. This strategy works for apple because they OWN the software they put in their hardware. Nokia doesn't anymore, that's why this decision to hitch themselves to one, and only one, wagon doesn't make sense.

Great, it's now making a small profit. So I guess that should be the end of discussion, right? 585(IIRC) million compared with Samsungs(who I'm not their biggest fan) multi billion dollar profits. There is always room for improvement if they wanted it. As a HARDWARE maker now, THEY SHOULD want to get their HARDWARE into as many hands as possible. That means branching out into as many forms of software as possibly. Look at Asus, Acer, Samsung, HTC, etc. Many of the "top", and I do use that term loosely, HARDWARE makers don't stop with just one set of OS. The end goal, should be anyway, to get their HARDWARE into the most amount of hands in the least amount of time. But hey, their making a "profit" now, right? Damn.

And I say what I did in the previous post because if Nokia made an Android phone, or any other OS really, I would probably buy it. Their phones are stout pieces of hardware. That is a real big plus in my eyes, but I refuse to use Windows Phone 7 or 8. Not after MS decided to make such a drastic change from their WinMo years. I was a "WinMo" user until WP7 came out, that's what caused me to leave.

Fragmentation? Elop is a liar and is just spreading FUD, pathetically trying to support WP by bashing Android, perhaps because he can't find positive things in WP.
Unfortunately, WP is even worse than Android.
WP8 apps won't run on WP7.x phones. Isn't this fragmentation? WinRT tablets won't run applications that Windows8 tablets run. Isn't this fragmentation? WP7 phones with 256 MB of ram must run a striped-down wersion of WP7 an some apps like Skype won't run. Isn't this fragmentation? WP7 owners won't be able to upgrade to WP8. Isn't this fragmentation?
As to Android, every OS has a certain amount of fragmentation, because as things evolve you add new features and new APIs. Windows 7 apps won't run on Windows XP. It's normal OS evolution, widely accepted, but it seems that it is a problem only with Android.
As to the agreement mentioned in the article, everyone can take Android and do whatever he likes. Amazon did it: they took Android, removed the Google Market and put their own, and made their own tablet. This means that they used Android to build a competing product wich will sell applications, books and so on from their store, subtracting customers to Google, and they could take Android for free. See if Microsoft allowes something similar, before criticizing that agreement... look in your own house.
That agreement is valid for companies that have a closer partnership with Google, and in this case Google simply asks them: if you want to work with us, have our support please do not compete with us. But you're not forced.
So the things that Elop is saying are just FUD.

I agree. Just a small couple of things. For the most part, Android apps are generally backwards compatible to 2.2-ish or higher. Some new APIs won't work, but there is usually a workaround of some type. The fragmentation could be worse, and IS worse on some Microsoft ecosystems.

And that agreement about not fragmenting Android is one that must be signed in order to get Google's approval and licensing for their apps, including Google Play and Gmail.

Excellent points from start to finish.
Love the live tiles concept of WP, but the many short comings of WP7, 7.8 and 8 isn't enough for me or many others to make that change to such a fragmented OS in need of consistency when Android has it all together right here and right now.
Elop needs to get off Microsofts jock and open his mind to other platforms or lead such a fine company like Nokia in a do or die ride with WP OS. By putting all your eggs in one basket, the likelihood of failure is raised higher.

At least have a plan B and look into Android for some market share. Android OS on Nokia's fine hardware would be great for both parties.

Dude is using this as cover. He gets asked daily if Android is an option in the future. I personally see a good number of Windows Phone devices purchased daily, but a good number of them get returned. This guy is severely into the Microsoft Koolaid. While I have always loved Nokia, I am personally lukewarm to Windows Phone. MS has a bad track record in the mobile industry for software support (anyone remember Windows Mobile?), 7.8 is further proof. They should have done what Samsung did and spread those eggs out, made Meego phones, a few Windows Phones, then one or two Androids. Too bad MS pet Elop is in charge.

Not many sites online where the overall gist is not the same as here,..
Dump Elop an add another OS to the ranks, whether it Android, BB10 or something not so closed in an off, add in dead ended every time MS wants to change tiles.

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